Pets perish in Prospect house fire

Prospect firefighters and emergency personnel work at the scene of a house fire at 25 Greenwood Drive Tuesday night. – JIM SHANNON REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

PROSPECT — A house fire Tuesday night on Greenwood Drive claimed the life of a dog and other pets.

Firefighters responded to a fire at 25 Greenwood Drive at about 9 p.m., said Firefighter Ed Malaspina, who is the public information officer for the Volunteer Fire Department of Prospect. Malaspina said a neighbor reported the fire. The fire had spread to about 50 percent of the house by the time firefighters arrived on the scene, he said.

No one was home at the time other than pets, according to the department. One dog and some smaller pets died, according to the department.

Malaspina said firefighters tapped into a fire hydrant on Waterbury Road and had the fire under control in about 20 minutes. Firefighters remained on the scene to ensure all hot spots were out until about 1 a.m., he said. No firefighters were injured.

Malaspina said the fire started in the back of the home. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The fire caused significant fire, water and smoke damage to the home, which is uninhabitable, Malaspina said.

It’s unclear how many people lived in the home, which is owned by Rosa S. and Antonio Ramalhete, according to the property card.

The Bethany Volunteer Fire Department provided mutual aid at the scene. The Cheshire Fire Department and Beacon Hose Company No. 1 were on standby at the Prospect firehouse.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated from an earlier post to include comments from Volunteer Fire Department of Prospect Public Information Officer Ed Malaspina.